Category Archives: Evolution

Visual effects in movies have advanced in a spectacular way in the relatively short history of cinema. What once was thought to be impossible to create in post-production has become a mainstay in blockbuster tentpoles. More recently, visual effects companies have become quite skilled in creating human faces entirely with computer generated imagery, and a new video essay shows us how this part of movie magic has evolved in a small window of time.

Watch the evolution of CGI faces in movies after the jump.

While there have been plenty movies that have used digital doubles, or used visual effects to replace a stunt persons face with a digital recreation of a performers face, this video focuses on visual effects used to bring a human face to life thats prominently used as a character complete with a performance. Thats why they dont include Avatar or Dawn of the Planet of the Apes or other movies with motion capture performance and visual effects used to bring non-human characters to life.

Instead, the video begins with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the earliest use of extensive visual effects used to create a human face with visual effects and utilize it for performance. Then theres bringing back young Jeff Bridges in TRON: Legacy, a visual effect that looks amazing in some shots and then like a video game in other shots.

There was an impressive leap in lifelike recreation in Furious 7, though that digital version of Paul Walker didnt have to do nearly as much as previous CGI creations. Meanwhile, Teminator: Genisys suffers from some of the same video game quality issues as TRON: Legacy, though the double of Arnold Schwarzenegger looks identical to some shots in The Terminator from 1984.

Then were brought up to today with footage of the somewhat controversial recreation of Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Though some fans complained that it looks fake, I maintain that Industrial Light & Magic pulled off something incredible, if only because several people I know (who didnt know Cushing was dead) had absolutely no idea the character was created with visual effects in the movie.

Excerpt from:

VOTD: The Evolution of CGI Faces in Movies - /FILM

Evolution methods for new Gen 2 Pokmon Scizor, Steelix, and how to get the Metal Coat.

By Chris Tapsell Published 20/02/2017

Gen 2 is finally here and with it come not just new Pokmon like Scizor and Steelix, but new items like the Metal Coat, too.

That, in turn, means new methods for evolution: the Metal Coat was used for evolving Scizor and Steelix in the main Pokmon games by having them hold the item when being traded - a mechanic that's not in Pokmon Go at all as things stand.

So with that in mind, how do you evolve Scyther into Scizor, and evolve Onix into Steelix, and likewise how do you get the Metal Coat in Pokmon Go?.

The answers to all that can be found below, but while you're here, it's worth noting that there are several other new, special items which work in precisely the same way: the King's Rock for Slowking and Politoed, the Dragon Scale for Kingdra, the Sun Stone for Bellossom and Sunflora, and the Up-Grade for Porygon2.

Back in the main series of Pokmon games, Scyther's evolution into Scizor was somewhat awkward, requiring not only the Metal Coat held item but a friend to trade (and trade back) with too.

In Pokmon Go things are a little easier. You'll still need to find yourself a Metal Coat, but instead of any kind of trading required, you'll just need another 50 Candy to evolve your Scyther into Scizor, which can be done from the same in-game menu as you would for evolving any other Pokmon with the standard Candy method so far.

Note that the Metal Coat will be consumed in the process though, just like your Candy is when evolving as usual, so be sure this is the one you want to evolve!

Much the same as with Scyther, Onix's original method of evolution in the traditional Pokmon games was a little awkward, again requiring both a trading partner and a Metal Coat to perform.

Not only that - Steelix shares the same method as the Scizor evolution does in Pokmon Go, too. Simply earn yourself the right amount of Candy, pick up a Metal Coat, and evolve your Onix from the in-game menus.

As with Scyther and Scizor, again remember that this consumes the Metal Coat item when used to evolve your Onix into Steelix, so choose wisely before you confirm it!

Want more help with Pokmon Go's Gen 2 update? Our list of new Gen 2 Johto Pokmon can teach you where to find each one, what you need to know about new Pokmon Go Berries, Special Items to evolve Pokmon such as King's Rock, Sun Stone, Up-Grade, Dragon Scale and Metal Coat, and how to get Eevee evolutions Umbreon, Espeon, and updated Egg distances and best Pokmon charts, as well as other Pokmon Go tips, tricks, cheats and guides.

The Metal Coat in Pokmon Go can be found from Pokstops, the same way you'd acquire the occasional Egg. You'll find more concentrated clusters of Pokstops in urban areas, but thankfully that's not the only strategy we have.

A special evolution item is far more likely to drop on the seventh day of your PokStop Daily Bonus streak. There's no guaranteeing which evolution item you'll get, but with only five in the game at least you hopefully shouldn't have to wait too long to get a hold of all the items you need.

Read more from the original source:

Pokmon Go Metal Coat - evolve Scyther into Scizor, Onix into Steelix, and how to get the Metal Coat - Eurogamer.net

After the introduction of Pokemon Go in summer 2016, I wrote a column about the ways in which the augmented reality game might impact local residents and visitors interactions with Savannahs built environment.

What have we learned in the last six months?

Not surprisingly, many players who downloaded Pokemon Go at its launch have quit the game. The breakneck pace of the early days was unsustainable.

But, with the release last week of Generation 2 of the virtual monsters, there has been a fresh surge of interest. In just six months of 2016, the game reportedly earned $950 million for its creator Niantic Labs, and it seems like the game can vault back to the top of the revenue charts whenever new content appears.

In recent months, Niantic has announced several significant sponsorship deals, including with Starbucks. Most Starbucks locations across the U.S. now serve as either stops or gyms in the game.

Pokemon Go generally works best in walkable places with prominent public spaces and notable buildings, so Savannahs older neighborhoods are perfect. The most active local Facebook group for Pokemon Go has grown to almost 2,000 members, and there are hundreds of players in smaller team groups.

I got hooked on the game last summer, so I can attest to a decline in players as the game stagnated in late 2016. Still, there is little doubt that this game and future ones like it have the ability to lure residents into spending much more time in the public realm sitting in squares, wandering along the riverfront, exploring different neighborhoods.

I see tourists playing Pokemon Go nearly every time I walk through Forsyth Park or the Landmark Historic District. Some are catching creatures as they walk, and many pause to battle at the virtual gyms, especially along the Bull Street corridor or River Street.

In the local Facebook group, there are periodic questions from prospective tourists about the state of the game in Savannah. While in New Orleans for Christmas, I looked for information about the game and subsequently spent part of an afternoon exploring City Park.

In November, a special Pokemon Go event lured tourists from around the world to the area of Japan that had been ravaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Given the success of Pokemon Go, we will likely see many games and educational apps that influence the choices of tourists and subtly change the landscape of the city, but I dont have a good guess about the ultimate magnitude of the changes.

City Talk appears every Sunday and Tuesday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net. Send mail to 10 E. 32nd St., Savannah, GA 31401.

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City Talk: Following Pokemon Go's evolution - Savannah Morning News

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What do we look for first in a romantic partner? Sexual chemistry? Attraction? Perhaps. But what if theseare the wrong things to be looking for if what we actually want is intimacy?

My teacher once said, If you meet someone and you immediately are dying to jump into bed with them, then RUN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

What?

This seems so counterintuitive, and yet if we listen to our stories of meeting people, having great chemistry, and then getting sexy, what is the rest of the story most of the time?

And then it just died. He never called back. Its like there was nothing else between us. We had nothing else to talk about. I dont get it.

Hmmm

There are great parallels between animal mating rituals and the way we try to find partners. There is an initial sexual attraction, there is a little dance, and if all goes well, sexual union.

In the animal world, the job is done because the goal was procreation. Its the inborn instinct to create little ones. Its important. But once sexual union is complete, the job is finished. (Of course there are animals who mate for life, but the comparison still holds.)

And so with us, ifthe first thing that draws us in is the desire for sexual connection with someone, we have to step back and ask ourselves some questions. Is this just my primal desire talking? Would our genetics simply create strong offspring? Why is the desire so overpowering? Hmmm

We often treat sex like a game that we would like to play together. We think that since we both like raquetball, we might as well play together. Its fun. Its pleasurable. Its a great way to pass an evening.

But true intimacy isnt raquetball.

True intimacyis about you and the other person. It is about the depth of your connection. Its about connecting with our whole selves.

Sexual intimacy is a function of that relationship. It isnt just something to do. (Well, it can be. You can have regular, physical sex with anyone. But the satisfaction isnt long-lasting. In fact, it just tends to make you desire more because youjust arent satisfied.)

What if instead, our first thoughtwhen we meet someone was, Wow, what a great person, or Id love to chat more with this person. How different would that be?

And then we chat. We do things together. I know it sounds very old-fashioned, but we start making connections in all kinds of aspects of who we are.

Soon, we enjoy doing things together. We want to know their opinion. We want to share our day. We want to hear about theirs.

And then perhaps it leads to getting sexually intimate maybe.

It intrigues me that many people who I know are in truly loving, deep relationships often say that if they had had to choose their partner on a dating app or if they had had to decide whether they would see each other again after one date, they likely wouldnt have chosen them. They say that it was only after they got to know each other that they realized how wonderful their partner was.

And once the love was there, it was deep and beautiful.

So, perhaps the new questions are very intuitive. Would I like to get to know this person more? Would I like to know their opinion on things? Would I like to hear about their day? Would I like to travel with them? Would I like to share my world with them?

This reality creates quite a multi-dimensional foundation to play within. Then, if you become lovers, imagine looking into the eyes of this person that you share so much with while you make love

This is when things get really interesting.

Your life path number can tell you A LOT about you.

With the ancient science of Numerology you can find out accurate and revealing information just from your name and birth date.

Get your free numerology reading and learn more about how you can use numerology in your life to find out more about your path and journey. Get Your free reading.

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Going Beyond The Primal Instinct In Relationships - Collective Evolution

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How to obtain and use the new evolution items in Pokemon Go BGR Dozens of new Pokemon arrived in Pokemon Go this week, but in order to acquire some of them, you'll have to make use of the new evolution items that Niantic added to the game. In the following post, we're going to explain how exactly each of those ...

Continue reading here:

How to obtain and use the new evolution items in Pokemon Go - BGR

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*This is an older article that originates from Collective Evolution, a couple of updates have been made.

Science works best when in harmony with nature. If we put these two together, we can discover great technologies that can only come about when the consciousness of the planet is ready to embrace them. One example is free energy, also known as zero-point energy, which utilizes the substance that exists all around us and converts it into usable energy. This would give us a limitless source of energy, and would practically wipe out all poverty on the planet. (more on this later in the article)

The properties of space have been postulated by many, from ancient Vedic philosophy, Eastern Mystics, various ancient civilizations throughout human history all the way to Descartes, Einstein, Newton and more. Humans are curious beings, and our quest to discover what is will never end.

And they allowed Apollonius to ask questions; and he asked them of what they thought the cosmos was composed; butthey replied; Of elements. Are there then four? he asked. Not four, said Larchas, but five. And how can there be afifth, said Apollonius, alongside of water and air and earth and fire? There is the ether, replied the other, which we must regard as the stuff of which gods are made; for just as all mortal creatures inhale thewire, so do immortal and divine natures inhale the ether. Am I,said Appollonius, to regard the universe as a living creature? Yes,said the other. The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Philostratus, 220AD (source)

Science now knows that a material universe as the foundation of what we perceive to be our physical material world isnt quite the case. Today, physicists recognize that physical atoms are actually made up of vortices of energy that are constantly spinning and vibrating. At its smallest observable level, matter is energy, and this energy that exists all around us can be tapped into and possibly used to generate power.

Quantum physics has left many scientists baffled, again, the discovery that our physical material reality isnt really physical at all can be quite confusing. Scientists began to explore the relationship between energy and the structure of matter at the turn of the 19th century, this is approximately the time when the idea of a Newtonian material universe was dropped from the heart of scientific knowing, and replaced by the fact that matter is nothing but an illusion, that everything in the universe is made out of energy.

If quantum mechanics hasnt profoundly shocked you, you havent understood it yet. Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real. Niels Bohr, a Danish Physicist

Again, if you observed the composition of an atom with a microscope, you would see a small, invisible tornado like vortex, with a number of infinitely small energy vortices called quarks and photons. These are what make up the structure of the atom. As you focused in closer and closer on the structure of the atom, you would see nothing, you would observe a physical void. The atom has no physical structure, we have no physical structure, physical things really dont have any physical structure. Atoms are made out of invisible energy, not tangible matter.

Despite theunrivalled empirical success of quantum theory, the very suggestion that it may be literally true as a description of nature is still greeted with cynicism, incomprehension and even anger.(T. Folger, Quantum Shmantum; Discover 22:37-43, 2001)

Get over it, and accept the inarguable conclusion. The universe is immaterial-mental and spiritual. R.C. Henry, Professor of physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University. (source)

Weve seen a very interesting trend (especially within the past decade) of modern-day science catching up to an ancient understanding about the true nature of reality, its make-up, how it functions and how we can work with it to bring about change on our planet. For anybody to label the merging of spirituality and science as pseudoscience means they have not properly investigated it. Spiritual concepts of our ancient world are directly intertwined with modern-day science, more so quantum physics, and Nikola Tesla was well aware of this.

All perceptible matter comes from a primarysubstance, or tenuity beyond conception, filling all space, theakasha or luminiferousether, which is acted upon by the lifegiving Prana orcreative force, calling into existence, in never-ending cycles all things and phenomena. Nikola Tesla, Mans Greatest Achievement, 1907 (1)(2)

As you can see, Tesla was aware of ancient concepts and the correlation it had with the science he was working on -using sanskrit worlds like akasha, and prana to describe the force and matter that exists all around us. These words come from the Upanishads (a collection of Vedic texts)

The aakaash is not destructible, it is the primordial absolute substratum that creates cosmic matter and hence the properties of aakaash are not found in the material properties that are in a sense relative. The aakaash is the eternally existent, superfluid reality, for which creation and destruction are inapplicable. (Idham thadhakshare parame vyoman. Parame vyoman) Paramahamsa Tewari, Engineer, Physicist and Inventor. (source)

Nikola Tesla had correlations with Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), who was one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the philosophies of Vedanta (one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, the term originally referred to the upanishads, a collection of philosophical texts in Hinduism) and Yoga. He was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the founder of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. He is a giant figure in the history of the hindu reform movements.

Vivekananda wrote a later to Tesla in the late 1800s stating:

Mr. Tesla thinks he can demonstrate mathematically that force and matter are reducible to potential energy. I am to go and see him next week to get this new mathematical demonstration. In that case the Vedantic cosmology will be placed on the surest of foundations. I am working a good deal now upon the cosmology and eschatology of the Vedanta. I clearly see their perfect union with modern science, and the elucidation of the one will be followed by that of the other. Swami Vivekananda (Complete Works, VOL. V, Fifth Edition, 1347, p. 77). (1)

Tesla began using the Sanskrit words after meeting with Swami, and after studying the Eastern view of the true nature of reality, about the mechanisms that drive the material world. Eventually, it led him to the basis for the wireless transmission of electrical power, what is known as the Tesla Coil Transformer. During this year he made the following comments during a speech before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. (Given before he familiarized himself with the the Vedic sincere of the easter nations of India, Tibet, and Nepal.)

Ere many generations pass, our machinery will be driven by a power obtainable at any point in the universe. This idea is not novelWe find it in the delightful myth of Antheus, who derives power from the earth; we find it among subtle speculations of one of your splendid mathematicians.Throughout space there is energy. Is this energy static, or kinetic? If static our hopes are in vain; if kinetic and this we know it is, for certain then it is a mere question of time when men will succeed in attaching their machinery to the verywheel work of nature. Nikola Tesla (source)

The Vedas are a group of writings that consist of hymns, prayers, myths, historical accounting, science and the nature of reality. They date back at least 5000 years, and are not so different from other ancient texts that dive into the same matters from all across the globe. The language used is Sanskrit and its origins are unknown.

Swami Vivekananda was hopeful that Tesla would be able to show that what we call matter is simply potential energybecause that wouldreconcile the teachings of the Vedas with modern science. The Swami realized that in that case, the Vedantic cosmology (would) be placed onthe surest of foundations. Tesla understood the Sanskrit terminology and philosophy and found that it was a good means to describe the physical mechanisms of theuniverse as seen through his eyes. It would behoove those who would attempt to understand the science behind the inventions of Nikola Tesla to study Sanskrit and Vedic philosophy. Toby Grotz, President, Wireless Engineering (source)

Apparently, Tesla was unable to show the identity of energy and matter, this did not come until Albert Einstein published his paper on relativity, which was known in the East for the last 5000 years.

All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark. Swami Vivekananda

Teslas vision of the wireless transmission of electricity and free energy has been postponed for almost one hundred years now. Which brings us to our next topic.

These concepts have been proven in hundreds oflaboratories throughout the world and yet they have not really seen the light of day. If thesetechnologies were to be set free worldwide, the change would be profound, it would be applicable everywhere. These technologies are absolutely the most important thing that havehappened in the history of the world. Brian Oleary, Former NASA Astronaut and Princeton Physics Professor. (source)

Here is a video of world renowned Physicist Harold E. Puthoff. An American physicist who earned his Ph.D from Stanford University. I am best familiar with his work through the declassification of the remote viewing program conducted by the CIA and NSA in conjunction with Stanford University. (source 1)(source 2)(source 3). He is the director of the Institute for Advanced Studies at Austin, and has served various government agencies throughout his years.

These are not just fringe scientists with science fiction ideas. They are mainstream ideas being published in mainstream physics journals and being taken seriously by mainstream military and NASA type funders. Ive been taken out on aircraft carriers by the Navy and shown what it is we have toreplace if we have new energy sources to provide new fuel methods. Dr. Harold E. Puthoff

Back in about 1964 a researcher at the Hughes Laboratory by the name of Robert L. Forward showed that there was a particular effect, called the Casimir Effect, which demonstrated that this energy could betaped. Dr. Harold E. Puthoff

This is what Tesla was talking about when he said that man would attach their machinery to the very wheel work of nature.

Related CE Article:

A Film About An Over-Unity Generator Just Premiered In India

More information about this generator at Tewari.org, who is also aware of the spiritual foundations dealing with this technology. Below is the link to some footage from that film, titled Out of The Void.

Our current methods for extracting energy are destroying Earth. Its destroying the environment, its people and creates conflict. We are rapidly approaching a time (if not already in that time) where we need to implement systems to eliminate the use of fossil fuels. I hope that this article, and the ones linked within it, show you that this is possible. If you are further interested in this subject, you can check out Michael Faraday, Bruce DePalma, Paramahamsa Tewari and more.

Energy source transitions do not happen over night. It took us 100 years to transfer from wood to coal, and another 100 years to move from coal to oil. But the next energy transition must happen quicker than previous ones, and it must include free energy.

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway from the human spirit. Helen Keller

The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence. Nikola Tesla

Related CE Articles:

10 Scientific Studies That Prove Consciousness Can Alter Our Physical Material World

The Illusion of Matter: Our Physical Reality Isnt Really Physical At All

Sources:

(1)http://www.teslasociety.com/tesla_and_swami.htm

(2) Hunt, Inez and Draper. Wanetta, W., Lightning In His Hand, The Life Story Of Nikola Tesla, Omni Publications, Hawthorne, CA, 1981.

(2) ONeal, John, J., Prodigal Genius, The Life Of Nikola Tesla, Ives Washington, Inc., 1944. Anderson, Leland, personal communication. See also Anderson, L.I., and Ratzlaff, J.T., Dr. Nikola Tesla Bibliography, Ragusan Press, 936 Industrial Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94303, 1979.

http://www.tewari.org/Books/SpititualFoundations/SF%20R12702.htm

Sources used from another article embedded in this article: All other sources are highlighted throughout the article.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v457/n7226/edsumm/e090108-01.html

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A%3A1012369318404

http://www.disclosureproject.org/docs/pdf/OutsideTheBox-TedLoderPaper.pdf

http://pra.aps.org/abstract/PRA/v39/i5/p2333_1

http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_10_1_puthoff.pdf

http://pre.aps.org/abstract/PRE/v48/i2/p1562_1

http://pra.aps.org/abstract/PRA/v40/i9/p4857_1

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=darpa-casimir-effect-research

http://physics.aps.org/story/v2/st28

Your life path number can tell you A LOT about you.

With the ancient science of Numerology you can find out accurate and revealing information just from your name and birth date.

Get your free numerology reading and learn more about how you can use numerology in your life to find out more about your path and journey. Get Your free reading.

Originally posted here:

How Vedic Philosophy Influenced Nikola Tesla's Idea of 'Free Energy' - Collective Evolution

Saturday, 18 February 2017 22:07 GMT By Stephany Nunneley

The large Pokemon GO update this week not only brought with it 80 new monsters and customization options, but new Evolution Items as well. Apparently, they are also rather rare.

According to Nintendo Life, the new Evolution Items in Pokemon Go can be obtained at PokeStops, and currently there are five stone types:

These Evolution items are used to evolve the aforementioned Gen 1 Pokemon into Gen 2 creatures. However, the drop rate for the Evolution times seems to vary, hugely.

Over on reddit, some users report going to multiple PokeStops without obtaining a single Evolution item. One user said they spun over 250 times and went home empty handed, while another obtained one on their first PokeStop spin.

Along with Evolution items, there are two new berries at PokeStops which help players entice Pokemon: Nanab and Pinap.

The former slows the Pokemon down to make it easier to catch, while the latter doubles the candy handed over upon being caught. The drop rate on these berries is said to be much higher than the Evolution items.

In other words, keep trying and use those berries. Its unknown if this intended programming on Niantics part, or if there is a balancing issue.

But at this point, its basically like rolling for loot in D&D: some have better luck than others.

Visit link:

Pokemon Go: these new Evolution items are obtained at PokeStops but the drop rate's all over the place - VG247

The way investors think about emerging markets has been evolving-along with the markets themselves. One thing we at Templeton Emerging Markets Group emphasize is that one can't consider emerging markets as one asset class; the opportunities are very differentiated between regions, countries and markets, with different fundamentals shaping them. Here, I've invited Stephen Dover, managing director and chief investment officer of Templeton Emerging Markets Group and Franklin Local Asset Management, to share his view of how emerging markets have changed over time, how he thinks investors should think about them, and where he sees potential opportunities ahead.

By Stephen H. Dover, CFA, Managing Director

I think emerging markets are appropriately named-they are indeed emerging and have changed over time. With these changes, I believe the way people both think about and invest in the asset class also should evolve.

One example of the evolution we have seen is in regard to market capitalization (market cap). In 1988, when the MSCI Emerging Markets Index was first launched, just two of the 10 countries in the index-Malaysia and Brazil-represented more than half of the index's market cap.1 At that time, the entire market cap of the index was about $35 billion (all values in USD unless otherwise noted), representing less than 1% of the world's equity-market capitalization.2

If we fast-forward to 2016, there were 23 countries in the index, and the market cap had grown to $4 trillion, representing about 10% of world market capitalization.3 The mix of countries in the index has also evolved over time. In terms of country weights, today, India represents 8% of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and China-which wasn't represented at all in 1998-is nearly 27% of the index today. Meanwhile, Brazil's representation is much less today, at only 8%.4

What constitutes an emerging market has also changed significantly over time, but the waters in emerging markets have not always been very clear.

South Korea has been the subject of some debate in this regard. MSCI includes South Korea in the emerging-markets category, while another index provider, the FTSE Russell, considers it a developed market. This issue is quite important, as which countries are in which category and at what percentage in the indexes help determine how many investors position their portfolios. We have seen countries shift in and out of emerging-market status over time. For example, in 2013, MSCI reclassified Greece from developed to emerging-market status, and in 2016, MSCI announced Pakistan will be reclassified this year as an emerging market from frontier status.5

It really boils down to how one defines "emerging market," and there is some disagreement about exactly what the criteria should be. MSCI and FTSE have their own criteria for inclusion in a particular index, including explicit requirements for market size and liquidity, a country's openness to foreign ownership, foreign exchange and other aspects.

If you were to follow the World Bank's standards as to which countries are classified as "high-income" to determine developed-market status, you'd wind up with a very different set of constituents than the index providers-for example, Qatar's per-capita income ranks above that of Australia, Denmark and the United States.6

That said, we at Templeton Emerging Markets Group are active managers and not confined to a particular benchmark classification or index weighting when we make our investment decisions. We employ a bottom-up approach and focus on the fundamentals we see in individual companies. We may even invest in a company that is located in a country considered to be developed-if the bulk of its profits come from emerging markets.

Emerging Markets-Taking a Bigger Piece of the World's Pie

While emerging markets currently represent at least 10% of the world's stock-market capitalization (based on MSCI indexes), in our various discussions with investors, we have found most have a smaller percentage of their portfolios invested in emerging markets. And worth noting, the 10% figure represents the traditional MSCI indexes-other measures of emerging-market capitalization show emerging markets more broadly represent an even higher percentage.

We also have found that even though the world has become much more globalized, many investors still exhibit a "home-country bias," investing solely within their own borders even if markets elsewhere look more promising. We see room for growth in the emerging-markets realm-and a great potential opportunity for diversification that many investors aren't even considering. We also see many potential opportunities within frontier-market countries, many of which aren't even included in global indexes. These markets represent a smaller subset of emerging markets that are even less developed, and include most countries on the African continent.

Looking at other measures, we can see just how important emerging markets are to the global economy. Today, emerging markets represent nearly 50% of the world's gross domestic product (GDP) measured in nominal terms (nearly 60% when using purchasing-power parity) and account for nearly 80% of global GDP growth.7

Changing Economies

Emerging markets have also undergone structural changes. Over the past three decades, emerging markets largely achieved their phenomenal growth through exports-and many people have associated these markets with commodities. While many emerging-market countries still rely on exports, these economies are radically changing. As recently as 2008, commodities and materials stocks constituted 50% of the components of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Today, that category represents about 15% of the stocks in the index. To us, what's really exciting about this shift is that it opens up many more investment opportunities that are focused on consumption and services.

Many investors may not realize that some very sophisticated information technology companies are based in emerging markets. In 2008, information technology (IT) companies represented about 7% of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, and today, the sector represents 24% of the index-in fact, the top four constituents by weight are IT companies. Consumer/consumption-oriented stocks represented 7% of the index in 2008; today their weighting is 17%. So it is really not accurate to say emerging markets are pure commodity plays anymore, even though many people still consider them to be driven by the whims of commodity prices.

The weakness we have seen in many emerging-market currencies is something we think also strengthens our investment case. The U.S. dollar is at a 15-year high and some predict it could strengthen even more as the Federal Reserve is expected to continue to raise interest rates as inflation picks up. In our view, emerging-market currencies have been quite weak-in some cases, unjustifiably so. We see this as supportive. Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia and Malaysia are all examples of countries with currencies trading at what could be considered distressed levels-priced as if those economies are in great crisis. The fundamentals tell a different story. We believe the fundamentals in these countries look much better than their currency prices are reflecting.

Additionally, we believe inflation appears poised to drop in many emerging-market countries, including Brazil, Russia, Colombia and Nigeria, and this allows their central banks to pursue more accommodative monetary policy, which could stimulate local equity markets.

More Reasons Why We're Optimistic

Despite some uncertainties, we see opportunity in emerging markets in 2017 and are optimistic many investors will see value in making greater allocations to them. GDP growth is expected to outpace that of developed markets, with the International Monetary Fund projecting growth of 4.5% in emerging and developing economies versus 1.9% in developed markets this year.8 We see evidence that earnings growth in emerging markets could likely be higher than in developed markets, too. Emerging markets have been lagging in regard to earnings growth, but 2016 marked the first time in more than five years they outperformed developed markets. We think there's still quite a bit of room for emerging markets to further catch-up.

And finally, the United States is near full employment and President Donald Trump's administration has proposed some policies that appear stimulative for economic growth, including potential tax cuts and fiscal spending. History has shown us that in general, a strong U.S. economy is positive for emerging markets. Even if we do see some reduction in trade on a marginal level, we think an expansion in the global economy is likely to help emerging markets. And, as noted, emerging markets that are more domestically driven should be more insulated against global shocks in other markets.

Emerging markets are in fact, emerging, and we see many opportunities ahead in 2017.

If you'd like to hear more of the misconceptions about emerging markets, and opportunities our team sees, I encourage you to check out our team's new emerging-markets podcast.

CFA and Chartered Financial Analyst are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

Stephen Dover's and Mark Mobius's comments, opinions and analyses are for informational purposes only and should not be considered individual investment advice or recommendations to invest in any security or to adopt any investment strategy. Because market and economic conditions are subject to rapid change, comments, opinions and analyses are rendered as of the date of the posting and may change without notice. The material is not intended as a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region, market, industry, investment or strategy.

Important Legal Information

All investments involve risks, including the possible loss of principal. Investments in foreign securities involve special risks including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments. Investments in emerging markets, of which frontier markets are a subset, involve heightened risks related to the same factors, in addition to those associated with these markets' smaller size, lesser liquidity and lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets. Because these frameworks are typically even less developed in frontier markets, as well as various factors including the increased potential for extreme price volatility, illiquidity, trade barriers and exchange controls, the risks associated with emerging markets are magnified in frontier markets. Stock prices fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and dramatically, due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or sectors, or general market conditions.

Sources

Link:

An Emerging-Market Evolution - Seeking Alpha

New with the release of the Johto Pokemon Update, many new and old Pokemon can evolve into advanced form Pokemon - but only through the use of specific Evolution Items. These items have a rare chance of being found at any Pokestop, and can be used along with specific Pokemon Candy to evolve a Pokemon.

This even works with Pokemon who have different evolution paths, as an additional evolution button will let you choose which path you'd like to take if you meet the requirements. Dragon Scale

There are currently 5 new Evolution Items introduced with the latest update:

The Dragon Scale is one of the new Evolution Items that can be used in conjunction with Pokemon Candy to evolve some of the Gen 1 Pokemon to new Gen 2 evolutions.

Currently, the applicable Pokemon for this item is Seadra, who can be evolved into Kingdra using a Dragon Scale and 100 Horsea Pokemon Candy.

The Kings Rock is another of the new Evolution Items that can be used in conjunction with Pokemon Candy to evolve some of the Gen 1 Pokemon to new Gen 2 evolutions.

Currently, there are 2 applicable Pokemon who can use this item: Slowpoke can use the Kings Rock and 50 Slowpoke Candy to evolve into Slowking - or just the candy to evolve into Slowbro. Poliwhirl can also use the Kings Rock and 100 Politwag Candy to evolve into Politoed - or just the candy to evolve into Poliwrath.

The Sun Stone is another of the new Evolution Items that can be used in conjunction with Pokemon Candy to evolve some of the Gen 1 Pokemon to new Gen 2 evolutions.

Currently, the applicable Pokemon for this item is Gloom, who can evolve into Bellossom using the Sun Stone as well as 100 Oddish Candy, or into Vileplume using just candy.

The Metal Coat is another of the new Evolution Items that can be used in conjunction with Pokemon Candy to evolve some of the Gen 1 Pokemon to new Gen 2 evolutions.

Currently, there are twp applicable Pokemon for this item: Onix, who can now be evolved into Steelix using 1 Metal Coat and 50 Onix Candy. Scyther can also use 1 Metal Coat and 50 Scyther Candy to evolve into Scizor.

The Upgrade is another of the new Evolution Items that can be used in conjunction with Pokemon Candy to evolve some of the Gen 1 Pokemon to new Gen 2 evolutions.

Currently, the applicable Pokemon for this item is Porygon, who can use an Upgrade along with 50 Porygon Candy to evolve inyo Porygon2.

Read more from the original source:

Evolution Items - IGN

Forbes

How The New Evolution Items Work In 'Pokmon GO' Forbes Evolution got a bit more complicated in Pokmon GO last night. Originally it was a pretty straightforward affair: you got candy for catching, walking and transferring Pokmon, which you then used to turn your Squirtles into Waroturtles, your ...

Read the original here:

How The New Evolution Items Work In 'Pokmon GO' - Forbes